Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-21

ferSonai appearance OF the L}phth
sibyI"-Her Words at the CapitoI-An
Introduction to Grant-An Impressive
Interview-The Parting.
knew Sojourner Truth more than forty
years ago i'll New England She was then 70
years old, but seemed hardly beyond the
prime and glory of her woniauhood. In those
days Harriet Beecher Stowe described her as
"the Lybian Sibyl," gifted with prophetic
insight and tall and erect like a strong and
graceful African palm tree She would do
more housework of the heaviest kind than
two ordinary women, and yet be one OF the
best watchers by sickbed at night. A sick
man she lifted to the best place on his bed as
easily and tenderly as mother would lift
her baby, and the touch of her hand smooth
ing the pillow and stroking the fevered brow
was health and quiet, while her wall, There,
honey, you's easier now," had a strange
power to give ease and calm.
Unframed in grammar or rhetoric, never
able to read or write, there was quaint dis
regard for set rule of speech in her public and
private discourse, but no fine rhetorician
could make his meaning palmer and few
could equal her in power of expression or eK-
uberance Of imagery. A few years after the
close of the civil war 1 went with her to the
senate reception room in the Capitol at
Washington. She stood beneath the center
Of its arched ceiling and the deep look of her
wonderful eyes seemed to take in the beauty
of pictured forms and glowing colors on its
walls, as she said: dis is like the picture
chambers of de New Jerusalem dat dey read
about in de Book" Then she looked out Of
| the window and saw the poor huts of the
| freed people not far away, and said in tender
tones: But they don't have dem over there
A great gospel of divinity and of tender hu'
manity seemed spoken in two brief sentences
Great souls can move other souls.
. "As THE SPIRIT TOLD HER"
| In the winter of lS71-72 spent some time
in Washington, and about midwinter learned
that Sojourner Truth was in the city. Had
not known her ways this would have
been surprise, for the long winters journey
| from her home at Battle Creek, in the cen
| ter of Michigan, was serious undertaking
| for a woman near her Tooth birthday. But
4 knew that she always went 'as the goot
spirit told her." and that some strong feeling
of duty to be done led her to the capital city
Her way opened, not long after, for sorn'
| good service among the freedmen at tn
| hospitals. ] soon went TO see her and sh'
sud, with great eaInestness: i believe d.
good Lord sent You, for you are de very on
| wanted to see" Asking what was special!
| wanted, she said: Il want to See Presidtn
Grant, and YOU can get me thoTe." | tol,
her that was easier said than done, but
would try, and the next day wrote note L
him, say ins She wished TO see him at some ii
time took 1t to the White House, ; mt 1t il
10 the business office, and verbal messag
: on came buck to me in the waiting roor
that any morning would suit
In a few days SojOurner, with two ladie.
a venerable friend OF Quaker birth and my
self, went to meet The appointment and sen
In carl, 'Sojourrer Truth and friends,
which brought back in a half hour messeI
ger to escort us to President Grants Office
lie sat at the end Of long table in the cente
Of the room, with documents piled befoi
him, and just closing an interview with othe
persons | stepped forward to introduce tn
marty and to bring Sojourner beside the tab
She had met President Lincoln, and lie,
' born Kentuckian, could Call her "AuntyH
the old familiar way, while Grant thong
kindly, was reticent, and all was not quit
easy at first But happy thought came I
her. Not long before the president BIS
signed some bill Of new guarantees of justi,
to N, colored people. She spoke of this wit
K gratitude; the thin ice broke and words csn
freely from both, for Grant was an easy ar
- fluent t;llker, but had the wisdom Of silen
until the fit time came to speak
Standing there. tall and erect while stirTt
In soul by the occasion, her wonderful ey
glowed rs she thanked him for his good dee
and gave wise counsel in her own clear al
quaint way.